The Honourable the President, and Senators in Parliament assembled. The humble petition of the citizens of Australia respectfully showeth:

That the Postmaster-General's Department, Central Administration Board's Policy of recentralising and concentrating certain staffs, under what is called the Area Management Project, to the great detriment of the economics of the towns and related rural areas, and to the detriment of the overall morale, efficiency and independence of the Australian Post Office is against the public interest and should be made the subject of special investigation by the Senate's Social Environment Committee and by the Senate's Finance and Government Operations Standing Committee.

Your petitioners most humbly pray that the Senate in Parliament assembled will take immediate steps to refer the above matters to the two committees of the Senate referred to, and in the meantime will order that:

1.
There will be no transfers of persons, areas of authority or operations under the Area Management Project; and,

2.
No further appointments to positions under Area Managers or above them in the State Administrations or Central Administration of the Australian Post Office until the two committees of the Senate have investigated the matters and reported to the Senate and the Government.

And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

Petition received.

Similar petitions were presented by Senator McManus and Senator Little.